Ditcher carrier



Jan. 8, y I

al T.' RoNK DITcmR CARRIER Filed July 25, 192'?A i the line 3?-3 of Figure 2'.

Patented an. v8,- 1929.

f UNITED STA" GEORGE 'i'. nomnor cnnnn'narrns,

ronA'rroN, or canna mms,

Iowa,y AssroNon To Icrimini-rr. macminer con- IOWA, A CORPORATION or Iowa lineman cinnmn.

Application med July 25, 1927. Serial No. 208,401.

This invention relates` toimprovements in llitcher mechanism-Of that type whichis de` signed to be used ini railroad work.

A The object of my invention is to provide a l ditcher mechanism of simple, durable and inexpensive construction, and which is adapted .tobe operated overv the ordinary railway track, and having in'connection therewith a series of dump cars which are so llocated that 10 the ditcher may be way track and to empty the material in the dump cars, the dump cars and ditcher being desi ed to be operated over the track in a unit y power derived from the excavator operating mechanism,

maybe swung out of operation-l -ditcher is being operated. 7 'A further ob] ect is to provide a railway car for receiving a ditching machine of the tractor type, said car being so arranged that the maximum hei ht of the ditche is suchas to permit the dite er to be conveyed under stand ard lbridges and trolley lines, said car includ- ,ing means whereby the ditcher may be easily and quickly moved to and from osition thereon, and including means where y the ditcher carrier may be propelled from the same power used to advance the ditcher.

A further obect is to provide means for operatively connecting the power of the ditcher vwithl the mechanism for propelling the rail'- waly' car over its track. further object is to provide improved :ses4 means for loading and unloading theditcher from the ditcher carrier Or car. My inventon consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various f parts of the device, whereby the ob'ects contemplated are attained,.as hereina A rfniore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawingsan which: i; A Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved mechanism. -o Figure 2 is a detail sectional fyiew on the line while the 2 -2 ofV Fi "e 1, a rtioniif the car lat'- form tot er with t attraction device oy the ditcher ing broken away.`

lFi ure 3 is a detail sectional view taken on Figure 4 is a. detail view of one ofthe versal joints of thepower transmission devlce. My improved mechaninn comprises what I .shall term a ditcher carrier 10 comprisin operated while on the railand including means' y whereby7 the -ditcher advancing mechanism vided with the ordinary crawler t a pair of railway trucks'll and 12 designe to Each of the trucks 11 and 12 is designed to support a` platform 14. The inner edge of each of the platforms-14 is provided with a downwardly extending portion 15 designed to support a platform 16 supported a sli ht distance above the railway 13. The plat orm 16 is of theV .same width as the platforms 14. Each of-the .side edges of the platform 16 is provided. with a pair of hlnged `loading planks or platforms 17, which are adapted to swmg from a vert-ical position to an inclined position below 'the top surface of the `platform 16 in the manner clearly illustrated vin Figure 3. Said planks are detachably supported to the platform 16 by means of hooks 18 su ported on pivots 19, so that; the planks may "operate on the 'standard railway track 13. j

removed if so desired, or they may be swung to the position shown by'dotted lines -in Figure v3.

l Oneof the axles 2O ofthe truck 11 is Vprovided with a worm gear 21 o rating 1n a housing 22 and driven throng `a worm 23 mounted on ashaft 24, which has its inner end extending to the frame member 15 and provlded with one member of a universal `dipper boom 29 and the di per stick 30, said .-boom 29 being supported E y aAcable 31 andV the d1p'per byfmeans of a cable 32. These parts are of the ordinary. construction.

The boom 29 is supported von a platform 33' pivoted to the ditcher truck 34, 'which is prtrea s ,l ]oint.25. Supported adjacent to each end of the dltcher carrier 10 is a dump ear 26 of ordinary construction. 85'

35. ofa llen h slightl lessthan t e width o fthe plat orm -16. e said treads are designed to be supported on the platform 16 in -a transverse manneryasclearl illustrated in rthe drawings. The' spacing etween the loading planks 17 is the same as the spacing between the treads 35 so that when the planks are'placed in their lowered position the trac-y 'tor may be moved'transversely ofthe carrier 10, and operated on said lanks to causethe ditcher to be loaded or u oaded. TThe'treads- 35 are operatedby means of a-shaft 36 rotatively mounted in the truck, 34. Saidshaft has at each end sprockets 37 for lxperati ng the sprocket chains 38, which in turn operate sprockets 39 on the shafts 40, which carry the driving sprockets 41 of the said treads'. The shaft 36 is driven with the bevel gear 42 rotatively mounted on the said shaft and driven through a bevel gear 43 mounted on the lower end of a vertical shaft 44. A clutch 45 is feathered to the shaft 36 to throw the gear 42 into and out of operative relation with the shaft 36. A bevel gear 46 is also rot-atively mounted on the shaft 36 drivenv through the bevel gear 43 and provided with a hub 47. A gear 48 is mounted on the hub 47 and in mesh with a gear 49 mounted on a. stub shaft 50. The inner end of the shaft 50 has a universal joint 51 carrying a square shaft 52 telescopically mounted in alsleeve 53 carried by the universal joint 25.

By this arrangement it vwill be seen that 'power for advancing the carrier 10 may be Y derived from the shaft 44, which is also emchoring devices would have to be ployed for operating the tread members 35.

In Figure 4, I have shown in detail one of the universal joints, both of Which are alike, in which a detachable pin 54 is employed forl mounting the spider within one of the bifurcated members, so that if the pin 54 is with drawn, then the spider together with'the other bifurcated member of the universal joint,` as wellas the shafts 52 and 53, may be entirely removed, if so desired, by pulling both of the pins 54. Or, if it is desired `to-throw the carrier 10 out of operative relation with the driving shaft 44, only one of the pins 54 need tobe removed.Y

Y Other mechanism might be provided for operatively connecting theshafts 24 and 50.

any event the universal joints and the tele- 911 one of the platforms 14 when not in use,

1n the manner illustratedby dotted lines in Figure 1, which provides means for steadying the excavator platform33. Otherl anrovided,

such as blocking the treads an bracing the platform 33 against rotation on its vertical shaftif thecarrier were used in 'rapid transit.

. By this arrangement itwill be' seen that I have provided-a railway ditcher mechanism which is cajaeble of vey flexible operation,

mg rapi y the ditcher transferred from one job to another by connecting the dumping cars 26 in series with the ordinary freig t train, or the said dumping cars26 ,and the carrier may be advanced independently over the tracks by their `own power, as above de- The railway carrier car, as well as the dumping cars, may be equipped Withany of thestandard brake systems.

I claim as my invention: l. In combination, a railway ditcher carrier car, comprising a pair. of trucks and ay platform-supported thereon, the central port-ion of said platform being lowered between said trucks and adapted to carry and support a ditching machine of the boom and ucket type, and a dumping car adjacent to each end of said ditcher carrier car, the cars being s0 arranged and the carrier car of such length that the bucketof the ditching ma.-` chine may be emptied in either of said dumping cars. I v 2. 'Incombination, a railway ditcher cal'- rier car,comprising a pair of trucks and aplatform supported thereon, the central por-- tion of saidplatform being lowered between said trucks and adapted to carry and support a portable ditching machine of the boom and bucket type, a dumping car adjacent to each end of said ditcher carrier car, the cars being so arranged and the carrier car of such length that the bucket of the ditching machine may# be emptied. in either of said dumping cars, and means carried by said lowered platform .for attachin ditching machine loading and unloading p anks.

' 3. In combination, a railwa ditcher .carrier car, comprising a pair o trucks and a4 platform supported thereon, the central portion of said platform being lowered between said trucks and adapted to carry and support bucket type, a dumping car adjacent t0 each end of said ditcher carrier car, Athe cars being so arran ed and the carrier car of such lengt that the ucket of the ditching machine may be emptied in either'of said dumping cars, and loadingand unloading planks pivotally mounted to one side of said lowered platform to project laterally and horizontally therefrom. v

4. A railway ditching machinexcarrier car comprising a pair of car trucks spaced apart, a platform supported by and connecting said trucks, the central portion of said platform being lowered between saidgtrucks to a point slightly above Athe rails on which the trucks are supported, and loading and unloadin planks pivoted to one 0f the side edges of a portable Aditching machine of the ,boom and vlowered platform,

said planks to swing from a'vertical to a horizontal posi tion.

' 5. In combination, a railway ditching machine carrier car comprising a pairof'trucks.

and a platform supported thereby, the cena tractor tral portion of said platform-being lowered,

said latform, a )power device carried by said: itching machine, means actuated frogn .v said power device for advancing the ditching machine over the ground-surface, and means platform,

` actuated from said power device for propelling said railway car.

6.` In combination, a railway .djtcliingzima-.l chine carrier car comprising a pair o f-trucks and a platform' supported thereby, the centralV Y portion of' said platform being low ered,".a`

tractor type ditching machine carried by said r a power device carried by said 'ditching machine, means actuated' from said power device for advancing the-ditching inachine over the ground surface, means actu-- atedfrom said power device forpropelling said railway car, and means for throwin' .either said ditcher advancing means or sai tion vwith sai power device.

' caradvancin .means into and out-ofopera-' V S7. In combination, a railway chine'carrier carl comprising a pair of Atrucks Y and a platform supported thereby, the`cen= tral portion of said platform being lowered,

'- a tractor ,type ditching .machine carried by 'said'platform, a power device carried by-said ditchin machine, means actua-ted from said .','.-..;powerf evice for advancing the ditching nia- :jchinef over the ground surface,v means actu#V f` 'ated'fron`i said power device for propelling e being dsigne;

type ditching machine carried by said railway car, meansl for throwingeither said vditcher advancingv means or said car Vadvancing means into and out of operation with said power'device, and a dump `car connected to one end of said carrier car to receive material delivered by 'said ditching machine. v

combination, a railway ditcher carrier'car, comprising'a pair of trucks and a platform supported thereon, the central portion of said platform being lowered between y said trucks and adapted to carry and support a portable ditchingmachin'e of the boom and -.buc ket type, a'dump'ingcar adjacent to each' ditcher carrier car, the cars being sog-'arranged and the carrier car of such rlength.' 'tliatthe /lucket of the ditching machine may. be1 eniptiedin either of said dumping cars, vloadingfand unloading planks piv- `.o tall mounted to on'esidev f said lowered plat o'rm to proj ect laterally and horizontally herefrom, and meins for advancing said carrier car on its supportingrails.v

dumping car adjacent 4to each s`o arranged and the carrier car ofsuch len 'itssup'orting'rails.`. 'Deslcinea-Iowa, July 20,1927,-

GEORGE fr. BONE.. y y f 

